


Ţ̵̨̥̜̉ŗ̵̯̫̜͂̈̈́̕o̵̙͎̭̻̿̇̈́u̶̫̤͎̫͇̓̓b̴̢̩̘͎̰̃̓͋̌ḽ̵̌̇͌̚e̴̬̟̊̐̔̒̓ ̴

by Tiggerbang



Series: X-EXO [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Chen - Freeform, Demon leader Suhø, F/M, Fire maniac Chanyeøl, Flame Warrior Chanyeol, Guardian of Water Junmyeon, Light of Darkness Baëkhyun, Light of Destiny Baekhyun, Ominous Lightning Chen, Quiet Tornado Sehu̇n, Relocus Jongin, Shadowstep Kāi, Smut, Thunderbird Jongdae, X-EXO, X-EXO Clones (EXO), mentions of cannibalism, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:48:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21754765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiggerbang/pseuds/Tiggerbang
Summary: 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒕𝒔, 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅Your crush on Jongdae is found out by the worst person possible: Chën
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Reader
Series: X-EXO [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588645
Comments: 6
Kudos: 43





	1. Ruin

**Author's Note:**

> Exo's Trouble goes well with this. Its only after I wrote it did i realised how similar it is to the song.
> 
> The more I type about him, the more i fell in love with Jongdae all over again T.T Again, I was looking for Chën smut and didnt find much, so i wrote it. It ended up becoming a chaptered fic...Jongdae is my bias and I'm a soft Jongdae stan I say as I type this. Only this chapter is smut! The rest is not so you can skip this is you're not comfortable with smut. Now, let us dive into the world of X-EXO!

"Thats all for today. Get home safely Exo-L!" Jongdae waves and smiles sweetly at all of you, watching you trudge tiredly to your room. The red force have successfully managed to created clones of Exo, using them to fight and putting everyone on edge. The training is getting more intensive, along with the more frequent patrol of the borders.

The Exo-L is a group of citizens who volunteered to fight with Exo, split up into sections with each member leading. Every citizen is free to choose who to fight for, be it Exo-L or Exø-L, the 'evil' counterpart that works for X-Exo. You were one of the few earlier batches, assigned to work with Jongdae as an Exo-L. Due to your time and efforts, you became his second in command.

"Hey! Do you want to go for a drink?" Jongdae asks you, tapping your shoulder gently as you blink tiredly at him and fakes a yawn. "No thanks. All this training is making me sleepy." you joke, nudging him playfully as he dodges and ruffles your hair affectionately. "Have a good rest." he leaves you to lie on your bed, pretending to sleep until youre sure hes gone. You sit up and change out of your uniform, sporting a t-shirt and shorts as you sneak out quietly to a bar further away from the main district.

This is one of the days where you wish you can confess to Jongdae, one of those days where he smiled at you and make you momentarily forget that it’s not just the two of you in the world. You look at your drink glumly and take shot after shot, noticing red at the corner of your eyes and ignoring it, more focused to drink your sorrows away so you can face Jongdae again.

After drinking enough to make a hole in your wage, you stumble out on unsteady legs, not drunk enough to your liking as you think about where to go next when you hear footsteps behind you. Your training put you on high alert even in this state, making you turn immediately at the sound. What you see makes your breath stop, blinking to make sure it’s not an illusion you conjured up.

You were kind of confused and surprised at the sight of the man before you. You have heard that X-Exo looks like the leaders you knew so well, but didnt know that their way of dressing is so...daring and extravagant. Chën is even more of a mysterious character as he’s rarely seen alone, so not much descriptions of him are available. Your leaders are always dressed for maximum practicality and protection, with bomber jackets, bulletproof vests and black or dark green outfits with combat boots and harnesses. This Jongdae before you is dressed in nothing but a v neck suit jacket, tight red pants clinging onto him perfectly. His hair is slick and pushed back, curls tamed and styled neatly compared to Jongdae's messy perm and a blue contact in one eye, white eyelashes showing off how long they are. He has a snake bite, and a chain that goes from his ear to his lips, something you would never imagine Jongdae will wear. His dress shoes are shiny and spotlessly clean, making you wonder how much effort he put into cleaning them.

He meets your eyes, face devoid of emotion as he considers his next move, making you reach for your gun and aim it at him. _It can’t be a coincidence he’s here, especially if he rarely shows up in front of enemies._ He strides confidently towards you until the gun is pointing at his chest, stopping as you move back to put some distance between the two of you.  
"Hello there." his voice is smooth and soft, and you remember how someone mention Chën looks the least intimidating. _It must be because of how gentle the original is._ Gripping your gun tightly. "Arent you going to shoot?" he asks, hands holding your gun as you feel the warmth of his hand.

You were trembling, cursing out loud at how relaxed he is compared to you. _Why is it Chën of all people?!_ if it’s the others you wouldn’t hesitate so much, but this face...you can’t bring yourself to hurt him, even if he’s not the one you have feelings for. He notices your hesitance and seems to understand immediately, eyes lighting up as a smirk appears.  
"Does someone have a little crush on their leader?" he ignores the gun pressing into his chest, grabbing your arm and pulling you in the direction of a hotel. You struggle to free yourself from his grip, looking around for help as he drags you into the hotel elevator "Let me go! Let-hmph!" He shushes you with a kiss on your lips, pressing harder until your body is leaning back against the elevator walls, panting hard while he looks barely out of breath and press the desired floor. The elevator reaches the top floor and he steps out, holding your wrists with a hand before hauling you up onto his shoulder when you stay rooted to the spot.

"Stop struggling, I’m not going to harm you." he orders, a hand hitting your ass as you yelp and blush at the sudden contact, keeping quiet. He sets you down on an elegant red armchair, giving you time to look around the room as he walks towards the coffee table.

It’s been so long since you have last enjoyed the luxuries and comfort of a room like this, ever since the Red Force invaded and bombed the buildings, there was not much places that’s left intact in Exo’s territory. All that was left are old flats with empty spaces, tents separating each 'House' and the only privacy given by the tent flap does nothing much to block out noises outside. There was no need for comfort, only the bare minimum for survival in order to save resources.

He pours you a cup of whiskey, rolling his eyes as you take a sip and glance at him cautiously. "Just drink it. I didn’t poison it." it baffles you that Chën took you to what you assumed is his room, wondering what he is planning as you set the cup down. "It’s been so long since i last talked to anyone else." he says, touching his ring as your eye trail downwards and notice the scar on his finger. You feel sympathy for him, reaching for his hand.

"So hows life at the other side?" _I knew it!_ Hes trying to get information out of you, making you close your mouth and ignore him, turning away to look at the night view outside. You got to admit, the view is beautiful and comforting, stars shining in the sky, neon signs of the surrounding buildings flickering to life. You realised how close the bar was to X-Exo's territory, the damage here not as severe. Am I in their territory now? You’re distracted with thoughts running wild in your head, absentmindedly stirring your cup until a kiss stops you from thinking.

"I wonder, do i feel the same as him?" he muses as you pull back, slapping him. He rubs at the spot, calm and collected while you blush, angry at his sudden action. "How would I know?!" you spat out, unable to hide the bitterness in your voice.  
"Oh? Youre not his lover?" you retort, hugging your arms glumly "I wish I am." you’re not sure why you’re even answering him, but you had to let it out and he’s here. He takes the opportunity to probe you further, coaxing you to tell him as a plan forms in his mind. "It’s not like i would tell him." he says, crossing his legs as he sits across from you, refilling your cup while he takes a sip from his. You drink more to avoid answering him, only babbling it all out when you’re too drunk to control your mouth. He nods in fake sympathy, patting your knee as you turn to him. Your vision gets blurry as you let out a sob, not given a chance to cry as he pull you to sit on his lap, wiping your tears away gently. He hugs you to him, letting you lean against his chest while he talks to you, voice gentle and sweet. For a moment you forget who he is, relaxing in his hold at the familiar, comforting warmth.

"Why don’t we fuck?" the words pull you out of your sadness, making you snap your head up, not realising how close he is. "You can’t get over him. I look like him. Isn’t the solution simple?" He states flatly, while you struggle to say something. "I dont-it’s not- why are you even suggesting it?!" you are flustered by his sudden proposal, trying to deny what the both of you know you desire deep down in your heart.

“It’s alright, it’s just for one night. If they ever found out, just say you’re drunk.” He rubs circle son your back as you stiffen, suddenly finding your positions too compromising and moving to the nearest available space. _Wrong move._ It happens to be his king sized bed, and he takes your confused decision as enthusiasm, pushing you against the headboard as you let out weak protests. “Your body wants it, don’t lie.” He bite your lips when you open your mouth to talk, cursing yourself for melting into him so easily, body betraying you even when you brain screams for you to leave. “It’s not good to bottle up your emotions. Why don’t you let it out?” he runs a hand down your body, feeling your thighs trapping his hand as he stops dangerously close to your sensitive spot. “Why are you doing this?” you manage to get out, looking at him with pleading eyes, still trying to grasp onto your remaining resolve. “I want to ruin you.” He mutters against your lips, hand on your waist tightening when you wrap your legs around him.

“Do it then.” You sighed in defeat, ignoring your voice of reason as you focus on the way he’s touching you, leaving a electrifying sensation wherever he touches. He makes sure to take his time, mapping out your body with his hands and eyes as you whimper, ripping your shirt apart to descend upon your breasts with an animalistic groan. He chucks the rest of your clothing away, leaving you naked while he is still fully dressed. “He’s missing out.” You reach for his pants, getting your hand slapped away. “Patience.” He scolds you, a sweet smile on his face that contradict his actions as he licks a stripe up your clit, making you jerk your hips up. The cold metal of his lip ring along with the warmth of his tongue makes your toes curl, gripping onto his hair desperately as you let out broken whimpers. A comforting hand is stroking your hair, the familiar action making you close your eyes. When you quieten down he stops, looking up at you through his lashes.

There’s a glint in his eyes that makes you on edge, about to move away from him when he pulls you by the legs closer to him, rubbing his clothed crotch against yours and moaning in unison with you at the delicious friction. You reach for his pants again and this time he lets you, breathing heavily as you touch his body tenderly with every part you exposed. His skin is warm and smooth under your palms, stomach tightening when your hand wanders down. Before you can do anymore, he hold your wrist with warning in his eyes. You can see he’s trying hard to control himself, making you feel somehow proud you’re the one who make him look like this. You lean in, initiating the kiss this time as he devours your mouth with a low growl. Your hand brush against his member accidentally and he growls again, rubbing against your hand as he tries to relieve some of the tension. You spot your gun close to him, trying to get it when he kicks it away from you. “Still trying to kill me? I guess I’m not doing enough.” There’s a slight pout in his voice, hugging you close affectionately and catching you off guard, before he thrusts into you, an evil smile on his face as you scream at the sudden intrusion.

He slows down, watching you and pretending to look concerned, noticing how each act that reminds you of Jongdae have your heart rate speeding up. “Take your time.” He strokes your cheek as he stays still, face full of innocence as you blink, trying to make sense of what is happening in your lust induced daze. “We are all born inherently evil." he says, surprising you as you remember Jongdae saying the same thing, holding your hips as he thrusts in shallowly. "He chose to be good but i chose to stay the way I am. Is it that wrong?" before you can answer he distracts you with another thrust, making you arch your back "I bet he can’t make you feel so good." he whispers into your ears, noticing how you shiver at his words. He places your leg on his shoulder, satisfied at the new position that have you screaming the deeper he went.

“Jongdae!” the name slips out and he frowns, pretending not to notice your slip up as you continue to call the other’s name. He bites down on your shoulder, hard enough to leave a mark as he give kitten licks to the bruise. When you try to push his head away he dives for the other side, leaving more marks and chuckling at how you’re hitting his shoulder. “It’s going to be hard to hide.” He seems pleased at the thought, watching your glare turn to a pleasured expression with another thrust. He slips a finger in, the cold ring making you shiver involuntarily as he moves it leisurely, waiting till you're trembling as he works you to climax slowly. “Chën!” you managed to scream out when he commands you to finish, rewarded by a gentle kiss on your forehead. “That’s right, scream my name.” He tugs at his member as he stands at the edge of the bed, looking at how blissfully fucked out you are with satisfaction as he releases, cum covering your body in thin streams of white.

“C-Chën- ah!” you cry out when he licks your body clean, overstimulating you as you feel your juices continue to flow out uncontrollably. You are whimpering pitifully as he shushes you, enjoying how wrecked you are as you let him lick you clean. You’re barely awake when he’s done, voice hoarse and strength used up by him. He pops his fingers into his lips and sucks them clean, making sure you’re looking at him as his tongue run down his fingers with a cat-like grin. “Are you feeling better now?” you managed a nod before falling asleep, clutching the blankets tightly as you remember him picking you up.

When you woke up the next morning, your body screams in protest when you try to move, mind a muddled mess as you wonder what happened last night, panicking at missing morning training. You find yourself back in your tent, the only remnant of last night a hand written note “Thanks for the good time.” You rub at your temples, wondering who wrote it until the memories came flooding back, making you blush a deep red. “Are you awake?” You jump at Jongdae’s voice, stuffing the note under your sleeping bag as you give him permission to enter. “I couldn’t wake you up, you were groaning in your sleep.” He says as you avoid his eyes, trying your hardest not to get affected by how close he is to you. “Are you running a fever? Your face is so red.” He reaches a hand to touch your forehead as you tensed up, shaking you head to assure him you’re fine. You stand up, ignoring how sore and numb your limbs are as you push him outside to get changed. Jongdae is puzzled at your weird behaviour, shrugging as he goes to round up the others.


	2. Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒛𝒛𝒚,  
> 𝑾𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈.
> 
> He's someone forbidden, an enemy you're supposed to fight. How do you stop yourself from going to him when he uses your weakness to his advantage?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more about how the recruitment system works for X-Exo + Jongdae finally meeting Chën.

“You got yourself a sextoy?” Suhø asks as he take a seat next to Chën, watching him study the map. “She’s my pawn.” His voice is cold, not looking up from the map as he thinks about the possible routes. “You fucked her.” Suhø continues, running a hand through his hair. “She has a crush on Jongdae, it was her lucky day.” A devilish grin appear on his face, licking his lips at the memory. “Throw her away when you’re done.” Suhø reminds him, not speaking of the topic any further as the group meeting starts.

Chën is the right hand man of Suhø, preferring to strategize and come up with plans rather than engaging in combat head on, staying in the shadows and attacking enemies when they let their guard down. Jongdae, who is just as detail orientated, strategizes but also makes sure to be at the frontlines for every battle, believing in raising morale. Jongdae believes in a fair and equal fight, treating enemies with respect unlike Chën, who tramples them with no mercy. Chën rolls his eyes as he hears Exø-L talking about Jongdae, plotting to kidnap the man so they keep him as a pet. Even among Exø-L, most of them prefer Jongdae compared to Chën, sharing stories of how the other have spared them, or even helped them. “Why don’t you join Exo-L?” Chën asks, tone cold with a hint of irritation as he walks away before they can reply. They brush off his comment, used to his attitude as they continue discussing about Jongdae.

Unlike Exo who welcomes everyone equally, X-Exo stands out with their seductive and alluring appearances, using it to recruit soldiers and join their section in ‘recruitment drives’ , In these recruitment drives, X-Exo will invade Exo’s territory and take the soldiers, convincing them to switch sides instead of killing them.

Suhø uses his gentlemanly charms to make more people join them, often seducing them into working for him. Kāi’s deathly sex appeal and wild personality makes the citizens flock to him, amazed by his elegant way of fighting. Underneath Sehu̇n’s cool and aloof’s appearance is a boy that is gentle to his comrades, his actions getting him more soldiers than he have imagined. Baëkhyun doesn’t talk much, but just a glance is enough to make you do his bidding, the ethereal beauty and pureness of how he looks shining through with the platinum blonde hair. Chanyeøl is a wild card, the surprise of what his next move will be making those around him eager to see him in action. Chën is cold to everyone, and keeps to himself most of the time, not talking much to his soldiers or the others. Even when he’s interacting, there’s a mask he hides behind, a mask of sweetness that feels more like a poisoned flower. His words are sweet but cuts like knifes, coaxing others into surrendering for him before his tone is cold and harsh as he does the final blow.

As for the Exo-Ls the curiosity about the mysterious Chën makes him the center of attention when it comes to X-Exo. You can’t talk about your crush on Jongdae since you’re not the only one, and you sit next to them quietly while they discussed about Chën. “I can’t imagine how sexy Chën looks like, Jongdae is too cute!” one of them said, while you nod, stopping when you remember the look Chën sends you. You shake your head to get rid of the thought, noticing Jongdae sitting down and eavesdropping, curious about what all of you are giggling about. You’re about to alert them of his presence when he lifts a finger to his lips, huddling closer and hiding under his hoodie as lunch goes on. “I want to meet Chën!” one of them says, and Jongdae pushes his hoodie up indignantly “I can be cool too!” there’s a small pout on his lips, before he changes to a serious expression. Everyone looks at him for a moment before bursting into laughter, Chën watching from the shadows and noticing your fond smile as you tease Jongdae.

It was peaceful for a few days, enough to make you forget about your encounter with Chën and focus on the tasks Jongdae assigns you. He appears before you, making you stumble backwards and almost fall down from your crouched position. “Chën!” you hiss as he stands over you, looking down at you with a blank expression. Standing up, you brush the dirt away from your pants, moving to punch his chest, his hand wrapping around your arm to stop you, before pulling you close to him. “Hey honey.” He purrs, smiling and speaking to you sweetly. He studies your change in expression, hugging you by the waist when you try to hit him again, figuring he’s mocking you for your crush. “Jongdae! Jong-” you try to call for help, getting your mouth covered as he pulls you to a secluded spot.

“Calling another man’s name in front of me? Have you forgotten the fun we had?” he takes your weapons, letting go when you hit his ribs. He kneels down from the hit, pretending to be injured, smirking to himself when he feels you coming closer, unable to stop yourself from caring for this man who looks like Jongdae. Once you’re close enough he kisses you hungrily, taking your breath away as you try to put up a fight before returning the kiss as it escalates into something more.

The next few meetings end up the same way, with him appearing abruptly and taking you to a quieter place, coaxing you to give in to the pleasure with his words and action. He knows just what to say and do that have you going back to him for more, enjoying the fight you put up with a sick sense of amusement. You’re his source of entertainment and pleasure, his initial plan thrown to the back of his mind.

Watching your resolve break whenever he acts like Jongdae turns him on, exploiting this weakness of yours so he can watch you moaning underneath him, eyes never leaving his face as his name comes out of your lips. He hates that you always call him Jongdae, and makes it his mission for you to call his name. He makes sure to mark you every time, making it hard for you to hide, triumph look in his eyes whenever you glare at him and spat at his doing. "You weren’t saying that when i was fucking you." he fakes innocence, dodging as you throw the nearest item at him.

Every time after your rendezvous with Chën, you wake up full of regret and guilt, unable to look Jongdae in the eye. Jongdae notices your change in behaviour and tries to approach you, but you always find an excuse to leave before he can ask. These went on for a few weeks, your mind wandering whenever Jongdae holds strategic meetings, eyes on his lips with his words flying out of the window. “You have been zoning out recently, what happened?” Jongdae follows you out of the room, holding your hand when you try to walk away. “It’s nothing, I didn’t get much sleep.” You managed to get out, sending him a weak smile as you try to walk as normally as possible. He decides to follow you, concerned and worried about you.

"Sweetheart, are your legs okay? Seems like i was too rough." you limped past an alley on your way to your tent, jumping and bristling at the cocky tone in his voice and turning to find Chën leaning against a wall, relaxed and smirking at you.

Before you can tell him to fuck off you hear his voice behind you and froze "I saw you limping earlier, did you get-" he stops as he looks at Chën, tone changing from concern to cautious as he urges you to come closer to him. He tries to grab your hand, only for a red lightning barrier to come between you and him. He calls your name, choking when Chën have a ring of lightning suffocate him and lift him into the air, legs flailing as he struggles and aims his palm at him with a hand. Chën dodges the blue lightning easily, about to give him an ending blow when you run towards the man "Jongdae!" the barrier gets taller as Chën barely glances at you, watching the way Jongdae struggles, bored out of his mind while you try to go past the barrier.

"Run." Jongdae gets out, looking at you for a brief moment and you shake your head furiously. You’re not leaving Jongdae here to die! Aiming your gun at Chën, you close your eyes and pull the trigger, hearing his groan of pain and rushing to where Jongdae fell onto the ground with a thud. Jongdae's face is contorted with pain, but he asks if you’re alright. Again, you’re reminded that this is the man you loved, the one who is selfless and always think of others before himself. Leaning against you he stands up with your support. Checking his wounds and noticing the red marks on his neck, you could barely conceal the furious expression you send Chën, where hes holding onto his arm, surprising you with the hurt expression you saw for a brief moment before its gone and replaced with a cocky raise of his eyebrows. “Chën, leave!” you snap, ignoring how Jongdae looks at you questioningly at how you address Chën.

"This is all your doing. You're the one who caused her to be like this." he says to Jongdae "What are you talking about? I’m not like you, i don’t ruin and corrupt souls for their own sick pleasure." Jongdae’s pushing you behind him even then, not noticing how you tensed up and turn away at his words.

"That’s what you think." Chën smirks, walking away with a glance at you.

"Stay away from her!" Jongdae shouts after him, groaning as the wound hurt from his outburst. Helping him back to the medical ward, you dress his wounds while he tries to figure out how to ask you what’s on his mind. “He came to me a few times.” You decide to tell him a partial truth, watching his brows furrow in worry “Did he do anything to you?” You shake your head, checking his bandages once more. “Call me when he appears again. I don’t want you to be in danger.” You nod, unable to give him a verbal promise as he pats your head.

“I can’t have him stealing my best friend.” He jokes to lighten the mood while you manage a smile, sitting and chatting with him. “It’s been a long time since we talked like this. I miss you.” His words make your heart skip a beat but you will it to stay calm, remembering the words Jongdae have said before. “You’re a great person, but I-” you cut him off, understanding what he’s getting at. “I know, please act like you don’t know.”


	3. Disguise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏
> 
> Chën prepares a surprise for you and Jongdae founds out about your relationship with Chën.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: violence
> 
> Its coming to an end soon! X-Exo are not softies, they're badass and as evil as they can be. You have been warned! I can't help adding some of the other members especially Suhø, i just love to showcase their superpowers... (I suck at chapter summaries)

Suhø raises an eyebrow as Chën downs yet another glass of red wine, chugging everything down like water and ignoring how the blood like liquid flows down his neck. “You rarely drink.” Chën slams the glass down, wiping his lips as he mutters “I would have her wrapped around my finger if it aren’t for him.” He feels his pride hurt when you shot him in the presence of Jongdae, determined to show you who’s the one having control over you when he stalks to his room, leaving Suhø to roll his eyes. “You’re falling for her aren’t you?” he murmurs, stirring his wine before taking a small elegant sip.

Chën leaves you alone for a few days, making you worried if your actions have made him angry. Usually he would appear within two or two days, this is the longest period he have not appeared. _Why do I care what he thinks?_ You chase the thought away, instead preoccupying yourself with your duties and talking with Jongdae. Jongdae’s injuries are healing, after the incident he makes sure to be at your side at all times, wary that Chën will pester you again.

You woke up groggily to a hand stroking your side softly, another covering your vision. The touch is familiar, and your breath hitches when its near your stomach. "Chën?" you call the name, voice barely above a whisper. At your voice the hands are gone and you can see again, making you squint in the darkness of your tent as you sit up and rub your eyes. "Wake up!" Jongdae is outside, calling everyone out of their tents for morning training as usual. When you go out he leans against you almost immediately, slinging an arm around your shoulder as he touches his wound with a soft groan. His injuries are healing well and doesn’t need your help anymore, but you don’t question it, thinking he must have overstrained himself again. “I told you to be more careful!” you scold him, voice soft and worried as you hold onto him, matching his pace while the both of you head to the basketball court.

There’s something off about Jongdae that you can’t quite put your finger on, making you feel like he’s hiding a secret. You stare at him as he starts his briefing for the morning patrols, trying to figure out just what it is, eyes landing on his lips unconsciously. As if sensing where you’re looking at, he licks his lips slowly, seemingly to wet his dry lips. The innocent gesture seems to be done purposely, and you narrow your eyes. You move near Jongdae again when he gestures for you, joking that you should support him since you’re why he’s injured in the first place. You laugh, shaking your head as you smile at him, watching him look around while humming. "Did something good happen?" he turns to send you a smile, shaking his head.

The two of you continue chatting as you move to your tent, getting ready for patrol duties. You expect him to wait outside like he always does, but he followed you in, handing you new bandages without a word. Nodding, you sat cross legged beside him, changing his bandages carefully. When you reach for his neck to put some cream there he pulls away, making you suspicious. Trapping him against a corner so he can’t escape, he’s protesting as you reach to zip down the collar of his jacket. What you see is a perfectly flawless neck, the lack of red marks making you frown. "Did you like my morning call?" 'Jongdae' drops all pretence and sends you a cocky grin, letting you turn his head this way and that in amazement. He’s done a good job on disguising as Jongdae, if it weren’t for the neck you would have believed him completely.

What are you doing here?" he shrugs, gesturing to his outfit and hairstyle, an exact copy of Jongdae’s "Wanted to give you a surprise." you’re quiet, looking at his arm where you shot him and touching it, making him hiss and pull it away. "I’m sorry." you whisper, avoiding his eyes. He raises an eyebrow, barely hiding his surprise at your apology. "If you’re so sorry you should make it up to me." he says instead of what he wanted to reply, kissing you slowly as you return the kiss.

Both of you turn when Jongdae calls your name outside, your mouth covered by Chën's hand as he tug you to lie on top of him. "Don’t you want to ride him?" he’s planting thoughts into your head again, inviting you as he pat his thigh and snake an arm around your waist. "Ride me." he bite his lips and rolls his hips up, doing everything for you to ignore the calls outside and focus on him. You could barely hide the groan at his actions, about to push him away when Jongdae bursts into the tent “Did you take over for morning briefing? My head hurts so much-” he cut off mid-sentence, wide eyes taking in the scene before him.

The compromising position have you squirming, trying to get up but the firm grip on your waist prevents you from doing so, Chën leaning in to bite down on your lips. He studies Jongdae’s change in expressions with interest, watching the shock and confusion before anger appears, immediately pulling you up and pushing you behind him, palm shooting a shot of blue lightning to hit Chën in the chest. "You sick bastard!" he’s shouting now, shaking you off as you tug at his arm, trying to calm him down as you glance outside worriedly. Chën coughs up blood at the hit but laughs, blood running down his lips as Jongdae prepares to hit him again.

You’re too ashamed to face Jongdae as you peek at Chën who doesn’t seem to care, stretching his body as he sends you a dazzling smile that makes your heart flutter. "I was just fulfilling her wish." he hums, still looking at you as you grip Jongdae arm, unable to say anything.

He put on his gloves, spitting at Jongdae's shoes with a disgusted look. Jongdae doesn’t move from his spot. "I was discovered too soon. Just as well, it makes me feel sick to act as a saint."

Chën leaves with a casual wave as he gets up to leave “We could have more fun if he didn’t barge in and interrupt us.” He addresses you not even bothering to fight or acknowledge Jongdae.

"I-im sorry." you stutter out nervously once it’s just the two of you, lowering your head as he turns to you. Jongdae sighs, bending down to your eye level as he comforts you "It’s okay, it’s not your fault" you blink as he strokes your hair gently, giving you a warm hug when you feel yourself tearing up. Chën watches as you cry into Jongdae's shoulder, hand clenched into tight fists at the overwhelming jealousy he feels. “I’m sorry.” Jongdae says, feeling guilty for being unable to reciprocate your feelings, blaming himself for landing you in this mess. He understands what Chën had said then, patting your back comfortingly as you cling onto him, doing whatever he can to make you feel better. “I was too weak and gave in.” you know he’s blaming himself again, making sure he gets what you’re saying. “He visited me and I have never refused him, not even once.” He doesn’t know what to say, opting to hush you and stroke your hair.

After that, Chën stopped visiting you altogether, figuring that the two of you must have got together. He’s bored out of his mind and feels empty, spending his days reading books and volunteering for missions to take his mind off you. His absence makes you miss him, and its only then do you realise you have developed feelings for him. It’s hard for you to admit since the two of you aren’t exactly lovers, and you know nothing good is going to come out of this. He is the complete opposite of Jongdae, but you find yourself getting drawn into his seductive charm more with every meeting, the forbidden fruit you got to taste making you want to have more of it.

The next time you saw Chën, he’s near the bar where you first met, heading in the direction of his hotel. Without thinking you follow Chën secretly, hoping to understand the man better. You have been thinking about him lately, unsure where your relationship stands and have been dying to ask him about it. You are mentally prepared for his answer, believing him to have no feelings for you at all. He doesn’t notice you, walking as fast as he can back to X-Exo’s base. You rarely see him so anxious, and its makes you curious to see what urgent matter he was attending to. The Chën in front of you kept on fiddling with his clothes, tugging at the chain with an annoyed sigh. The sigh he makes remind you of Jongdae, and you wonder if this is really Chën. As he approaches X-Exo's main base he straightens his back, giving everyone a brief nod as he strides towards a crowd, scanning faces subtly. You hide when he turns, peeking out and finding him nowhere to be seen. As you spin around wildly trying to search for him you knock into someone’s chest and stumble, Chën hushing you as he takes you to a quiet spot. "It’s me." he speaks in a low voice before you can say anything, glancing around "I’m collecting intel. It’s the easiest for me since Chën doesn’t interact much with others." You nod and he lets go of you with a sigh of relief.

He seems uncomfortable in the outfit, pulling at it again "This suit is seriously stuffy, no wonder he doesn’t wear anything underneath." Jongdae is alert when a soldier approaches, asking if everything is alright while looking at you. "Fine. Just got a new recruit." his convincing acting even have you momentarily fooled until he relaxes when left alone again. “It’s suffocating to act as him!” he complains to you under his breath as you try not to laugh at his struggle, knowing just how hard it is since they’re so different from one another. You know he’s dying to ask you why you’re here, thankful that he decides to wait till you’re ready. Trailing behind him as he stroll around, he exchanges looks with a few soldiers, having them gather around him at a dark corner.

"Jongdae! we missed you." one of them hits his arm lightly, while the others pat his back or bump fists with him. The group is made up of men and women alike, and you recognize them as missing soldiers from Exo-L that was said to have changed sides. From their conversation you realised that Jongdae have always kept in touch with them, sneaking into X-Exo base whenever someone is missing and checking up on them. Instead of making them go back by force, he respects their decision to stay. As a result some decided to act as spies, touched by his care and concern for them. While walking around you have heard praises for Jongdae coming from Exø-L, teasing Jongdae when he tries not to smile and had to force himself not to duck his head from embarrassment, a faint blush on his cheeks. _So that’s why they adore him. Can’t blame them._

Your admiration for him increases, and it makes you realize what a crucial role Jongdae plays in Exo. How genuine he is got people to trust him easily, his kindness to everyone including enemies making him fall into their good books unintentionally. You leave Jongdae to chat with the others as you wander around, no one sparing you a glance after seeing you follow 'Chën'. You take the time to look at the main base, of X-Exo, the vast difference making you envy them somewhat. The buildings here are mainly intact, skyscrapers surrounding the base making it easy to defend and attack invaders. The living conditions are considerably better, with the X-Exo members having each apartment or hotel as their room, and fully functional dorms for the soldiers along with a hospital nearby. Just as you wonder about the rumours about torturing others, a ear piercing scream breaks the silence of the night.

Those of lower ranks are less likely to be harmed and are mostly convinced to change sides, and only high ranking officers of Exo-L are captured for questioning and in rare cases, torture. Suhø's mood is unpredictable, doing whatever he pleases and executing torture when provoked. He have no mercy on traitors, ordering them to be killed on the spot, walking away as the victim is taken care of. Most of the time he’s amicable, smiling and chatting about various subjects with everyone. The rest of the X-Exo members listens to his command and acts with no hesitation, unyielding respect for their leader similar to what Exo feels for Junmyeon.

Going towards the sound to find the source, you find a warehouse, peeking in through the open window and covering your mouth to stop any sounds from coming out. There’s a circle of fire around an Exo-L in the all too familiar black and green uniform, the bars on his sleeve signifying his high status. Suhø and Chanyeøl is facing him, the leader asking a few questions. The officer spits at him, and Suhø nods at Chanyeøl with a scowl on his face, and you’re left staring helplessly as Chanyeøl shoots fireball at the officer, making him run as he laughs manically until he can’t move anymore, trapped and left to burn. Suhø seems satisfied when there’s no more screams, snapping his fingers to make water wash over the fire. Someone drags the corpse away, burned beyond recognition as you close your eyes, shaking from the shock of seeing it.

Chën have never done anything like that to you, using ways that affects you emotionally, messing up your thinking and decisions with his words. His actions make you foolishly believe that the rest of them are like him, even though you have seen him fight Jongdae before. You didn’t know the extent of the difference of the treatment of captives, lured into a false sense of security by what you had seen before this. You’re somehow glad that its Chën who met you, not the others.

As you stood there thinking what to do next, you spot Suhø coming out from the warehouse, Chanyeøl close behind him with glowing red fists. Chanyeøl leaves after exchanging a few words and Suhø to walk back to his apartment alone. You decide to follow him out of curiosity , being as discreet as you can. Suhø's whistling and glances at the side with a smirk, knowing he’s being followed and playing along, wondering who have the guts to do this. Stopping near his apartment, he addresses you directly for the first time.

"Show yourself." he doesn’t face you until you’re standing right behind him, turning to greet you with a disarming smile that make chills run down your spine. This is the first time you take a proper look at Suhø, forcing yourself to focus on his face. His hair is the same fiery red as Joonmyun, parted to form two horns that suits his demon leader title. Like Chën, hes wearing nothing underneath the red jacket and black vest, high waisted pants accentuating his slim hips and impressive abs on full display. He clicked his tongue the moment you draw out your gun, shaking his head as he holds up his hands in defence.

"What brings you to our territory?" before you can talk a wave of water forces you to kneel before him, soaking you as you shiver and hug yourself from the cold water. He plays dirty, smile still on his lips as he stands over you. "A large part of the human body is made up of water." he starts, circling you as he places a hand into his pocket, kicking at the stones. "Do you want to experience what it feels like when i force them out of your body?" there’s a sadistic look in his eyes that tells you he’s not joking around, your eyes stuck on the water orb in his hand. You are still pointing the gun at him, and pull the trigger at his question.

Each Exo-L's weapon is based on their sections, and Jongdae's sections have weapons related to electricity. Blue electric currents wrap themselves around Suhø as you stand up, holding him in place. His eyes are closed, a serene smile on his face as if he’s enjoying the sensation, before he spread his arms and the bindings break apart. A flick of his wrist have your gun flying away, another have you choking as he makes a waving motion, making you feel like the liquids in your body are leaving slowly. He seems to sense something and pauses, stopping in front of you to cup your face gently "I sense a hint of Chën's power in you. So you’re the one he kept visiting." The change in behaviour makes you baffled as you choke and gasp, trying to get rid of the horrible acidic taste in your throat. he turns to leave, making sure you’re following as he heads to an expensive apartment.

You watch Suhø turn to face the window, pouring you a glass of plain water. When you didn’t drink it he takes another glass and holds it towards you, clinking it against yours before downing everything in a single shot. Turning the glass upside down, he gestures towards you, and you drink, knowing its better not to upset him. You rub your temples at the sudden headache "What did you put in it…” your words were slurred, falling unconscious as he place you on his bed.


	4. Hostage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 𝑰'𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝑰'𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆
> 
> Jongdae is trying to be calm. What is taking the others so long? Chën is being honest for once, but Suhø's words keep on lingering in your mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Red Force lore!  
> I actually have no idea how I'm going to end this, we'll see how it goes, its near the end! (my notes are so short lol)

Jongdae is getting ready to leave when he realises that you’re nowhere to be found. “I saw her going to the warehouse.” One of them informs him and he sets off at a run, fearing what he might see there. Unknown to you, The Warehouse is a place reserved for questioning and torture, and Jongdae has a hand on his back, where he kept a retractable shield. He is relived when there’s no one there, a burnt ring on the ground the only indication that it was used recently. He’s contemplating barging into Chën’s hotel when he hears footsteps and hides automatically. “Make sure she doesn’t run away. If she tries to, knock her out.” Suhø is ordering the others, and he walks off before Jongdae could take a proper look.

Junmyeon calls him then, he looks around cautiously before stays answering softly. “It’s been a while since you went. Are you caught?” There’s silence on the other end as Jongdae explains, and Junmyeon asks him carefully “Are you sure…she didn’t went to find Chën?” he knew that the two of you have been secretly meeting up, so its plausible you might be convinced to switch sides. “No. Suhø captured her. He ordered some people to guard her just now.” Jongdae knows that you can hold your own, but Suhø is a force to be reckoned with. In fact, Exo have a hard time fighting X-Exo due to their leader.

“Him again?” Junmyeon sounds irritated at the mention of Suhø, and he looks at the other members who are sending him questioning looks. “Ok. I will send Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Jongin over now. Before they arrive, don’t do anything rash. I can’t lose you too so please, Jongdae, wait for backup.” Jongdae understands what he meant. Three of the leaders, Yixing, Kyungsoo and Minseok fell unconscious right before the appearance of X-Exo, and nothing seem to be able to wake them up. Fortunately, since the Red Force and the Tree of Life are connected, their counterparts are unable to awaken too. Red force was a part of the Tree of Life, that gained a consciousness of its own and escaped. It wants all life forms to be dependent on it and bow down before it, thus its plans to make sure the Tree of Life is never revived.

Jongdae stays hidden, on the lookout for X-Exo. He can’t help hoping that Suhø left you alone, and that the others didn’t meet you yet. While waiting for the others to arrive, he even hoped that Chën is with you. Chën had all the chance to kill you but he didn’t, so he figured it’s better for him to be with you. It might be possible since he can’t feel Chën’s presence near him at all. The X-Exo and Exo members are able to sense when the other is near, and also feel a little of what the other feels. This is seen as a flaw by The Red Force, who can’t erase all signs of Tree of Life completely. That and the fact that X-Exo is created from Exo’s genes, this flaw is what makes the battle more in Exo’s favour.

X-Exo is born without feelings, supposed to be kept 'Clean' of all emotions that makes them 'weak'. However, this flaw causes them to feel their original's happiness and other positive emotions. Some of them really hate it since they feel that those feelings are unnecessary, and do unexpected things to overwhelm it, like Chanyeøl. Jongdae jumps when someone taps his shoulder, turning to find Sehün looking at him. He visibly relaxes, trying not to smile. Sehün was connected telepathically to Sehun while he was being created in the lab, so he was already influenced by positive emotions, making him the most affected out of them and seen as different by the others. He doesn’t like what they’re doing but without doing it he doesn’t have a purpose of living, so he kept quiet about it and does as he’s told. “Why are you hiding here?” Jongdae shrugs, racking his brains for what the real Chën might say. “None of your business.” He settles for this, giving him a glare before heading to the gates. Sehün stares after him, used to the treatment. Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Jongin arrives then, and Jongdae runs up to them, conjuring a small blue spark so they know its him. “Come on, she must be in Suhø’s apartment.” They nod at each other before separating, entering the apartment from different sides.

When you wake up you’re still in Suhø room. Feeling for your gun you notice how you’re wearing different clothes and grab the blanket to cover up when Suhø walks in. "Its not me." He holds up his hands in defence, smiling proudly as you look at the red lace corset dress they put you in. He place something on your shoulders while you searching for your clothes, and you touch the fabric. It’s Chën's jacket, which make you look at Suhø, opening your mouth to speak. "Thought I should dress you up as a present for him.”

You are about to retort, the lack of sound making you frown as you try to speak again, voice gone and you glare at him accusingly "Don’t look at me like that, i can’t have you calling your little friends for help." he sits down close to you on the bed, taking a hand and kissing it softly, actions making your body turn stiff. He leans in to sniff your scent, sighing as he places his head on your shoulder, tongue darting out to lap at your collarbones leisurely "You smell nice..." you stay still, trying to remember what the rumours about Suhø are and regretting immediately.

Suhø likes to test Junmyeon’s limits the most, fooling around with different women who would not hesitate to throw themselves at him. He seems to have sensed your thoughts and smirks. "Have he been mysteriously sick again?" Suhø asks while your eyes widen in realization "He can’t handle it huh." he sounds smug, and you resist the urge to wipe it off his face. Instead, you stroking his hair gently, making him look at you as you try to ask him where is Chën with your eyes, doing your best not to provoke him. “I have to warn you, Chën likes to spend time and wear them down until they obey and gave themselves to him fully.”

When he notices you’re listening, he continues “He enjoys the process and the changes he brought to them. It gives him a thrill to see a person being reduced to nothing in front of him.”

He takes a proper look at you then, shaking his head in mock pity "Youre getting close. Soon you'll join the others." You don’t understand what hes getting at.

_Why is he even telling you these in the first place?_

“Chën discards his toys the moment they submit themselves to him. He have no use for them anymore since his goal is to make them his. Once they are unable to think of anything but him, he finds it boring and kills them. Attachment? To him, they’re just toys, not humans.”

He tilts your chin up so you’re staring into his eyes, and he whispers, voice low and alluring “Come to me, I won’t throw you away.”

Chën strolls in then, ignoring your presence as he reports the status of the patrols. Its only when Suhø pushes you towards him does he take notice of you, eyes widening in recognition for a brief moment before he turn his attention back to Suhø "Why don’t we share?" the leader asks casually, shrugging when Chën rejects him immediately. "I dressed her up for you." Chën's hand is on your shoulder to hold you steady, and his grip tightens at the teasing smile on Suhø’s lips. The leader laughs at his reaction “Don’t worry, I don’t touch my subordinate's toys" he sends you a wink, as if to keep what he did just now a secret, while you nod softly. Chën sees the interaction but keeps quiet, pulling you by the hand out of the room.

The walk to his hotel is silent, he only started to speak when hes sure the two of you are alone "Why are you here?" there’s a hint of annoyance, the look on his face suggesting he’s mad at Suhø as he clench his jaw. "He was asking why i didn’t kill you yet." he closes his eyes to compose himself, glancing at you when you try to speak, your frustrated expression making him realise something is wrong. Tapping your throat lightly a few times, he sighs "It’s going to be a few hours before you can speak again."

You lower your head then, plucking at the stray thread of your dress absentmindedly, relieve you don’t have to answer him yet since you have no idea why you’re here either. The bed sinks with his weight and you blink at him, touching his chest where Jongdae had shot him. He shakes his head in response, covering your hand with his. "You were a pawn in my plan." he starts, staring at the ceiling "It was fun to ruin and taint you, messing with you as you struggle with your feelings for him." you expected this and close your eyes, patting his cheek lightly to show that you’re fine with it.

"Everyone kept comparing me and Jongdae, its gets tiring. Even you, you chose Jongdae over me." He’s looking at you now, touching your lip with an almost fond look. You shake your head, Suhø’s words ringing in your ears and you’re once again grateful you can’t reply him right now. You lie down on the bed then, pulling him down with you and turning to watch him, a hand resting on your chin. He faces you, the two of you staring at each other without a word. “You look cute in that.” His eyes rake down your form, rearranging the jacket so it covers you fully. “I would be getting intimate with you now if you can talk.” He pouts then, pulling on your corset string lightly. You know he didn’t mean it this time, and push him while he laughs softly. He seems to be waiting for something, and you watch him, trying to come up with a plan to sneak out.


	5. Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we have reached the end of my internal dilemma with Jongdae and Chën! I love the X-Exo concept so much, I live for the outfits and the thought that they're the dark, evil and wild side that I like. There's just something about the contrast between a seemingly harmless person, who is anything but innocent that gets me excited. Through this fic I find myself falling in love with Jongdae all over again and falling for Chën. Jongdae the sweetest angel to grace the earth with his presence and Chën the quiet, cunning and mysterious evil 'twin' who have stolen my heart among countless others. I'm glad to complete this fic before a new year starts, and i also love this concept alot, who knows, I might have something related written thats in the same universe as this ;) Here's to a good year everyone!

Jongin is one foot into the hotel when he senses Kāi outside. He moves out again to see him waiting, a grin on the other’s face as he regards him “Did you come to see me?” He’s holding a flag, strolling leisurely towards an open space nearby. Jongin follows, wary of what Kāi is planning as he looks around in case there’s an ambush. Jongin frowns when he sees his motorbike parked nearby, getting on it as Kāi nod at it. “Try to knock me down” is all Kāi says, smirking as he disappears from sight. Jongin grips the handlebars tightly, teleporting and driving wherever his senses lead him to. X-Exo always sets their engages in combat against Exo in their own unique ways, preferring to wear them down and provoke their counterparts, taking great joy in the frustration of Exo.

There’s a few close calls but Kāi always manages to teleport away in time, he waves the flag at him mockingly, just like one would do to provoke reaction in a bullfight. Both knows that the longer the fight is, the more drained their energy will be. Kāi may have seem to give Jongin an advantage with the motorbike, but teleporting together with a vehicle takes out more energy. Jongin considers walking and engaging in hand to hand combat and tries to stand, finding that he is unable to do so. Kāi had placed spider webs on it so that he can’t get up, smirking at how trusting Jongin is to get on in the first place.

The moment Chanyeol walked in he was welcomed by a ball of fire aimed at his face. Ducking it with a curse, he was quick to dodge the next few attacks. It went on as Chanyeøl talks to him, eyes crazed as he smiles in delight “I was dying to meet you.” Chanyeol is able to take the moment to conjure up fire orbs of his own, creating a long fire sword so that Chanyeøl can’t get closer to him. Chanyeøl immediately follows suit, coming up with double axes that he swings with no regard to his surroundings, not caring what he hit. The flames lick up the plants nearby and the two paid it no mind, observing each other.

“I want to see how I would look like all burned up.” Those words make chills run down Chanyeol’s spine. “I wonder if our meat taste good.” He muses, throwing an axe at him and swinging the other from the bottom, hitting Chanyeol directly in the face. Chanyeol covers the side of his face with a loud exclaim of pain, backing away while his counterpart claps at the successful hit.

Baëkhyun is waiting with a fencing sword made of light “Let’s start.” There’s an audience watching, red eyes and shadowy silhouettes hinting they’re a part of the Red Force. Baekhyun looks at the face chain, reaching out to touch it when Baëkhyun uses his sword to hit his arm away. “Stop staring at me with eyes full of pity. We both know who’s superior.” Baëkhyun sounds irritated, and he tries to stab Baekhyun’s eye, forcing him to fight back. “Can’t wait to stab you blind.” He mutters, the angelic smile contrasting the malice in his tone. Baekhyun conjures a similar fencing sword of his own and jabs at his neck, the sound of metal clanging against each other the only sound in the room. The two of them stands at the strip of light on the ground, the only source of light in the whole room.

Jongdae is the only one left now, and he goes to the top floor, doing the opposite of what he would do, willing himself to think like Chën. He senses he got the correct place before the elevator opens. He stands in Chën’s room, the other sitting with his legs crossed, arms folded on his lap. “About time you show up.” He stands, going into the lift before Jongdae can search for you. Figuring that it’s better to follow him, he gets into the lift too, watching Chën select the basement button. Chën gives him a side glance, scoffing when Jongdae glares back at him. “I don’t know what she sees in you.” He mocks, leaning back against the wall as Jongdae grits his teeth at the provocation. “Is it that fun to mess with her?” he’s upset that Chën kept on leading you on, believing that he’s the one who seduced you. “I would ask you the same thing. Is it fun to hurt her?” Chën counters, smiling when Jongdae is unable to answer his question, turning away. The elevator reaches the basement then, bell going off with a soft ding to signal both of their arrival.

The place looks like a surveillance room, with TV screen covering one wall and a chess table in the middle of it. Chën takes a seat, waiting for Jongdae to do the same as he sets the chess pieces. “I’m not fond of combat.” Chën states simply as Jongdae look at the TV and notice his group members fighting their counterparts. “Let’s have a battle of wits. I doubt you have a brain.” The insult comes out so smoothly that Jongdae nearly missed it, too preoccupied with watching his group members. “Say’s the coward who hides during battles.” Chën laughs at that, unaffected.

You wake up to the sound of Chën’s laughter and squint, making out the red figure at another room. Sitting up, you notice you’re in a different place now, and walk towards the source of light. Chën seems to be with someone, the person’s back to you so you take slow steps towards them, realizing its Jongdae. When you’re about to go nearer to them Chën raises a hand in your direction, red lightning bonds flying towards you. Blue rays of lightning are trying to cut them off but failed, the red bonds quickly tying you to a chair nearby.

Jongdae stands up, about to untie you when Chën raises an eyebrow, warning in his eyes as he tighten the bonds. He sits back down with a sigh and an apologetic smile in your direction, not wanting you to be harmed. The two of them engross themselves in a game of chess, ignoring you completely as they focus on what their next move could be. You could hear fighting outside and tensed, expecting the two of them to start doing the same. To your relief and confusion, they don’t, instead they are calmly continuing their game, eyes glancing at the TVs to check the situation outside. Its unnerving to say the least. You try to make a sound, voice hoarse and throat dry from not talking. Chënoffers you a drink, Jongdae catching the way you squeeze his hand lightly as you accept it. “Jongdae, why are you here?” Jongdae doesn’t look up, hands on a chess piece as he pushes it forward “To take you back of course.” Chënscoffs “She came to find me.” He states simply, surprising the both of you as you wonder how he knows that.

“Please, let me talk to him.” Jongdae doesn’t like the thought of leaving you alone with Chen again but he respects your wishes, closing the door and heading to another room to give the two of you privacy. “

You made sure Jongdae is out of earshot and Chën have freed you. “I’m staying.” He taps the table, glancing at you.

“I’m one of the guys who killed your comrades.” He states dryly. There’s no hint of guilt in his voice, and he doesn’t look apologetic about it. You shrug, understanding what he means. _We are enemies._ You have thought about it, and you have decided on this. It’s difficult, but you are choosing what your heart tells you to do.

"Casualties are a part of war." you take slow steps towards him, eyes confident and determined to get your point across "You guys are fucked up in the head, I would be too if I’m tortured and being created in a lab." Chën shakes his head “You don’t have to find excuses for us.” He knows how people perceived X-EXO. If Exo are light, X-Exo is the darkness that comes with it.

You pull him down to kiss him softly, deciding to use actions instead. "There’s no turning back the moment I kissed you, is there?"

He have always been the one initiating everything, until you take him by surprise and start to pull him close during the last few visits. He keeps quiet then, letting you go on as he regards you with an unreadable expression "We aren’t on the same page when it comes to killing and may have different perceptions on life, but I found myself falling for you.When you appear i don’t have to think about anything else. It comforts me" you try to put your feelings into words, hating how lame you sound "Those moments where you acted like Jongdae, it felt genuine." You’re staring into his eyes then, dejected sigh leaving your lips at the lack of response "I’m not trying to 'tame' you if that’s what you’re thinking. I just...i just want to continue being with you. I’m not asking you to change or turn good for me." you emphasis again, taking his hand as he looks at it, unsure how to respond "I want to stay" you say, tone firm as you grip his hand tighter.

He doesn’t believe you, thinking it’s some ploy to get him at first. Shaking your hands away, he turns his back to you. _How can anyone fall for him, when he all he did was mess with their emotions?_ The more you go on though, the more he realised you really fell hard for him. "Are you going to discard me?" your voice is small as you close your eyes, preparing yourself mentally. When Suhø told you that, you weren’t surprised since you expected it. However now that the moment have come, you can’t stop your heart aching. _It hurts to even think about it._

He’s frozen at the sudden show of vulnerability, hearing the sadness in your voice. Clenching his fist, thoughts are running wild in his head as he thinks about what to say "Yes, you were one of my toys." he admits finally, ignoring the flicker of hurt that flash by in your eyes. "At some point in time, I wanted you to call my name and stop thinking about him." you know who he’s referring to, and nod "The more we interact the more I wanted to own not only your body, but your heart." you blink. _are you hearing things?_ "I’m not saying I’m in love with you. It might be, who knows?" he’s saying it so nonchalantly, but you swear he’s blushing under the dark lighting of the room. "Whatever, you can stay if you want." he dismisses the exchange of confessions, not one to be mushy. "Just don’t go crying back to Jongdae when I break your heart."

He lets you go and find Jongdae, absorbed in his thoughts as he thinks about what to do. You find Jongdae sitting at the bed, surveying the room and hugging a pillow to his chest as he waits patiently. He gives you a smile when you call his name, hugging you and checking you for injuries, eyes full of concern as he asks what happened. You sit next to him on the bed, explaining everything as he takes your hand. His eyes flashes with anger when you talk about Suhø, indignant when you stop him from running to him and beating him up. “Why are they all like this?” He fumes, crossing his arms as you pat his back “That’s just how they’re like.” You can’t believe you’re speaking up for them and he stares at you for a moment, the look making you squirm uncomfortably.

Chën is looking at the surveillance screens with a contemplative look, pulling you to sit on his lap when you walked past. Jongdae makes a sound, about to attack him when you shake your head, keeping still as he hold your waist and tilt your head towards a particular screen as Jongin disappears from sight.

"They won." he states simply, patting your thigh as Jongin appears. Everyone is in disbelief as you grip Chën's arm, a simple no leaving your lips.

"Let's go" Jongdae offers you his hand, smile assuring as you glance at him. You shook your head again, "I’m not leaving." Jongdae is at a loss. At one hand he knows he should respect your decision, but on the other hand he doesn’t want you to stay with Chën, who is up to no good. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying now? You WANT to stay with him?” Jongdae asks, taking your hand and staring into you eyes earnestly, trying to search for a hint of doubt.

“You can’t. You’re my second in command. I won’t let my best friend stay just like this.” He grip is firm as he pulls you towards him, an arm on your shoulder to steady you as your head hit his chest, eyes meeting Chën’s who makes no move to grab you. You’re torn when he reminds you of your responsibilities, thinking of everyone you will let down if you insist on staying. Shoulders slumping, you let Jongdae pull you away, Jongin holding both of your hands as he teleports the two of you to safety.

He goes on two more trips to collect Baekhyun and Chanyeol, both of them in bad shape as they lean against him for support, bruises and cuts making you wince and feel even more guilty. They talk to you with gentle smiles despite their weak state, patting your back comfortingly as the five of you walk to Exo’s camp. Junmyeon is waiting for all of you with the others, and you feel yourself stiffen when your eyes meet his. He’s puzzled as you try to rush past him, holding your arm as he asks if you’re okay. Jongdae whispers to him and a look of realization crosses his features, letting go of your hand immediately “Sorry about him.” He says, running a hand through his hair in frustration at the thought of Suhø “He always do things to rile me up.” You shake your head, giving him a small smile as you help Baekhyun and Chanyeol to the medic.

“You’re in pretty bad shape. If only Yixing is here…” Jongdae is treating Chanyeol’s wounds, trying to be as gentle as possible while you do the same for Jongin. Junmyeon comes in then, placing a hand on Chanyeol’s face as he tries to treat the burn while the younger groans, eyes shut tight in pain. “He tried to roast me, why do I get the worst out of all of them?!” he’s complaining as Junmyeon grimaces “Mine isn’t any better either.” Baekhyun sighs, touching his face absentmindedly “I pity them…” Chanyeol turns to him “Seriously? He tried to stab you blind!” Baekhyun nods, sighing again “They were created to fight us. If they didn’t do it, do you think the Red Force will keep them?” Everyone is silent at his words, and Jongdae notices the glum expression on your face while you think about Chën. “Enough talk about them. It’s been a long day, get some rest.” Junmyeon tells all of you, patting all of your shoulders lightly.

The war is still ongoing, everything the way it is, just like how it is when you first met Chën. He doesn’t visit you anymore, and all your attempts to get to him were stopped by Jongdae. “Think about it. Are you sure you want to be with him? Do you really know him?” He’s shaking you, hoping to shake some sense into you as you refuse to answer his question “I don’t want you to get hurt.” He leaves it at that, sending you a worried glance as he head backs into his tent.

You didn’t try to find Chën after that day, instead diving into work, looking through the recruits and discussing it with Jongdae. “He reminds me of you when you first entered.” Jongdae gestures to a particular recruit, both of you looking at the recruit who’s moving around with energy, eyes full of passion. Your eyes soften, remembering the time you first met Jongdae. He was on a mission, rescuing civilians and you’re one of them. He makes sure that all of you are safe, protecting all of you as you stare at his back, his trustworthiness and kindness shining through and touching your heart. You followed him then, eager to help him and joining his section soon after.

Jongdae have a similar look on his face as he laughs, nudging you “Just a praise from me will put you in a good mood! You were so cute then, like a puppy.” You nudge him back, rolling your eyes “You’re the one who’s a puppy. You are always laughing and smiling with us. Cute Jongdae-ah” you pinch his cheeks just to hear his whine, smile not reaching your eyes while thinking about Chën. Jongdae claps his hand excitedly when you hand him a gift “What’s the occasion?” he opens the present, taking great care not to ruin the wrapper. You have already handed gifts to the rest of the Exo members, leaving Jongdae for last. “Hold on.” He stands up abruptly, coming back with a beautifully wrapped gift and thrusting it into your hands. “I meant to give it during your birthday. I can always find another gift.” You find a watch with a handwritten card inside, biting your lips and trying to urge yourself not to cry. “So you can always be on time, sleepyhead!” he’s ruffling your hair, looking at the knitted hat you have given him. “It took me a while to make.” You tell him as he puts it on immediately, smiling brightly at the gift. “It’s not the best, but-” he shake his head, the bob on his head moving along with his movements “It’s awesome! Thank you.” You pull him to the pub, ordering the drinks as he asks again “Thought you need to rewind. You always work so hard.” There was a certain truth in it even though it’s not the main reason, being careful not to drink too much as you encourage him to. Helping him back to his tent, you get ready to leave your tent for the last time, packing everything into your backpack.

In the past few weeks of training, you have scouted and found recruits who can take your place, settling your last worry about leaving Exo’s base. Jongdae is always surrounded and loved by everyone, so you know he will be safe and sound even without you around.

“I’m sorry Jongdae. I can’t stay here when my heart is already with him. Sorry and thank you for everything. I hope we meet again in better circumstances.” You leave the note on your sleeping bag, unzipping your tent quietly as you carry your backpack and step out. There’s not much people up at this timing, making it easier for you to avoid the patrols as you head towards the edge of Exo’s territory.

Chën is waiting for you at the gates when you sneak out, he starts walking when you’re near, not looking at you “Will you regret this?” you turn to look back at the base camp, a place you have called home. “No.” holding the edge of his sleeve carefully, you follow him back to his hotel without turning back.


End file.
